Summary for copper plating repair Discussion
Mustard stripped the copper plating from a tart pan, leaving an ugly bare spot on an otherwise decorative piece. Kimberly Moreira asked how to refurbish it, noting it is only an aesthetic problem. The reply says there is no great easy fix: spot plating is unlikely to work well, and a plating shop would probably charge more than the pan is worth to re-plate it, though full re-plating is possible if the pan is especially precious. As a simpler cosmetic option, the answer suggests copper-tone metallic paint to reduce the visibility of the damage. A more hands-on alternative is copper leafing the bare area, using adhesive, copper leaf sheets, and a very soft brush; if successful, a light lacquer coat could help protect it. If none of that looks good, the practical fallback is to reposition the pan so the damaged spot is hidden.
Q. Hello. My copper tart pan that hangs above my sink had some mustard shot up on it accidentally and since I was not the culprit — I didn’t see for a day or so. it completely took the finish down to the stainless in one spot.
Any ideas on how to refurbish that? It’s an aesthetic issue and not a functioning issue and was a good teaching moment with my 7 year old.
Thanks!
Kimberly Moreira
– Modesto, California
April 22, 2024
A. Hi Kimberly,
Unfortunately I don’t think there is a great and easy solution. Doing spot plating on that is never going to work, and a plating shop would probably charge more to re-plate it than the replacement cost — re-plating is doable if it is precious to you, but it’s costly.
There are copper-tone metallic paints
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
that would it make the mark less obvious.
Better than paint, if you want to try a new hobby, might be copper leafing the bare spot (same idea as gold leafing except with super-thin copper foil. I haven’t done it myself but I believe you need the adhesive
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
, the copper leafing sheets
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
, and a special super soft brush to apply the leafing
⇦ on
or
Amazon [affil link]
.
Sounds like fun if you have the time. If you are successful, a very light coat of lacquer would be good. If it’s not as successful as you hope, then a little re-arranging so something is in front of the spot 🙂
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
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